Alcohol buyers given jail warning

Bryan Drum admitted buying the alcohol for the underage girls

A sheriff has told a youth who admitted buying alcohol for a group of underage girls in the Borders he was "the closest you can get to going to jail".

Bryan Drum, 19, from Newstead, near Melrose, committed the offence in Galashiels on 8 September last year.

One girl, aged 14, was found later lying in the town centre being sick and was kept overnight in hospital.

Drum was given 200 hours community service but Sheriff Kevin Drummond said future offenders could be jailed.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told the first offender bought a large amount of carry out alcohol costing more than £60 for three girls.

We are now getting 14 and 15-year-olds in hospital with alcohol levels approaching fatal levels Sheriff Kevin Drummond

Graham Fraser, prosecuting, said Drum was approached by the young girls on a Saturday afternoon and asked to buy them alcohol for a party.

Staff at Tesco became suspicious of his behaviour when he came into the store and tracked him with security cameras handing over the bottles.

The police were called but could not find the girls, however one of their friends was found later that day lying on a footpath and vomiting repeatedly.

"She was 14 years of age and an ambulance was called because of her condition," said Mr Fraser.

Sheriff Drummond said future offenders were likely to be jailed

"It rapidly became clear through the CCTV that the alcohol she had consumed was the same stuff that had been bought for them by the accused."

Defence lawyer Iain Burke claimed the student was now a lot wiser after the event.

"He did not think about the consequences," he said.

"It was a one-off incident which caused significant distress and upset to him.

"But as a first offender he does not deserve the ultimate sanction of custody."

Sheriff Drummond said the behaviour of young people under the influence of alcohol was a major problem for the community.

'Significant sentence'

"We are now getting 14 and 15-year-olds in hospital with alcohol levels approaching fatal levels," he said.

He said he had already made it clear the crime would be dealt with "at the most serious level".

"You are the closest you can get to going to jail in your life," he told Drum.

"But I can say that the first person who appears in court for an offence committed in 2008 could very well be looking at a significant jail sentence.

"A line has to be drawn."